Can "Hunger Games" Survive Without Gary Ross?

What could Gary Ross' departure mean for the movies? Hitfix talked about weather or not Gary Ross was invested in the series.

 To be fair, the statement that Ross released seems to me to be incredibly warm and points out how important Nina Jacobson was as producer, and how much he enjoyed the experience on the film, and he talks about having a great deal of freedom on it.  And I buy that.  That film does not feel like it was stamped out of a cookie cutter mold.  There are choices he made that I think almost no one else would have done the same way.  Not better.  Not worse.  Just different from choices any typical pick for the film might have been.  Sometimes it’s great to bring in someone who isn’t the immediate choice.  Of course, with your release date coming a year from November, and with the expectations that are going to rest on the second film, that’s a pressure cooker.

Gary loves The Hunger Games but the production schedule wasn't right for him. So what happens now?

But on this one, it’s the timing and the circumstance that is tough for whoever follows Ross.  This story has played out in a semi-public way, with a fair amount of contradictory reporting going on in various places, some people claiming things were happening, other people disputing it.  Typical negotiation in public, and I think the majority of the film’s fans seem to want Ross to return.  There’s some anxiety already expressing itself, and there’s a potential fan-trum brewing.
It’s up to Lionsgate/Summit to figure this out and make the right next move.  They’ve got to land the right person.  They’ve got to bring someone in who can hit the ground running, who has relationships already in place that might serve them well here.  Since Simon Beaufoy is writing the script, why not bring on Danny Boyle?  He’s a great visual storyteller, an impressive stylist, and a bit of a chameleon.  He’s good with actors, and he’s certainly got more than enough pedigree to keep fans calm.

Source: Hitfix